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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · file · present · chair · net · firm · safe · pit

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wound — an injury
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. present — the time now
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. file — a tool
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com